How common over the years was it for gloves and mitts to be given a wax factory finish, and when might the practice have stopped? The late 30's/early 40's Goldsmith catcher's mitt I'm cleaning had a thick coat of waxy build-up on the face. At first I assumed it was a home-brew application at some point, but then I saw the ads for Ted Kennedy gloves and mitts ca. 1905 that specifically featured an "oil wax face" or a "pickled wax face." So that has me wondering if I should re-apply something like a beeswax finish (or thicker) at the end.

“Wait 'til next century. No millennium can hold the Cubs. The Cubs are bound by nature to reaffirm the futile and confirm the inadequate.” Bernie Lincicome